Sustainability on Campus

Being in Switzerland, one of the
most sustainable countries in the world, it is difficult to not catch the
sustainability bug. Reducing, reusing, and recycling quickly become a way of
life here on the Franklin campus. There are several ways that I have become a
more sustainable human being in the four years at FUS, and I’ll list some of
the most notable ones below; afterward, I’ll discuss some of the sustainable
initiatives we have here on campus.

Public Transportation

When I lived at home in
California, I used to drive everywhere: school, friend’s houses, grocery stores
– everywhere. When I am at FUS I walk everywhere, not because I have to, but
because I want to. The Lugano hills might seem a bit intimidating at first, but
eventually you learn to love them – especially because it means you don’t have
to hit the gym as frequently. All of my friends live within a five or
ten-minute walk from my door, and the 15 or 20-minute journey downtown goes by quickly
with all of the distractingly gorgeous views along the way. When I am too tired
to walk, there are a vast array of options in terms of public transportation:
the Autopostale bus that runs from campus to downtown Lugano; the FLP train – a
tiny regional train that goes between Ponte Tresa and the Lugano train station;
the new funicular that takes you between the train station and downtown; or the
regional or intercity SBB Swiss trains that run throughout Switzerland and the
rest of Europe.

FLP Train Station in Lugano

Food

Again, when I lived in California
I never thought too much about eating seasonally, because everything was
available all the time at approximately the same price; however, in Switzerland
I have become much more conscious of this. The amount of fuel and energy it
takes to transport berries and such from the Southern Hemisphere to Lugano can
have a huge impact! In all of the main grocery stores in Lugano (Migros, Coop,
and Manor), it is easy to notice what it in season because it is abundantly
available and affordable. Sometimes when certain items are in season,
restaurants in Lugano will dedicate a whole special menu to them – this is the
case for mushrooms, asparagus, and pumpkin. Also, when I go grocery shopping I
make sure to bring lots of reusable bags, because otherwise I would have to pay
for a new one. I usually bring a big backpack when I go to the grocery store,
but sometimes when my roommates and I are trying to stock up we will even bring
a suitcase to make it easier.

Outdoor fruit stand in downtown Lugano

Produce section of Coop

Shopping

As someone who grew up in the
extreme consumer society that is the United States, I have learned to shop less
and love it. European style is much different than that of other parts of the
world – it is all about simplicity. You don’t need to have a million items of
clothing, you just need to have a few high-quality items that you can mix and
match. It is all about “basics,” which is something that was difficult for me
to accept as I come from the land of color and tie-dye. Accepting this style
helped me to cut down on the least sustainable aspect of my lifestyle:
shopping. Clothing and accessory production are highly water and energy
intensive, and it is important that we do our parts and shop less frequently,
and even locally or secondhand when possible. Franklin even has opportunities
for students to trade clothes with each other at the Franklin Sustainability
Club’s “Clothing Swaps.” Students can bring in clothes and accessories that
don’t fit, don’t match their new Euro style, or that they’re just tired of.
These then get exchanged so that they can find a new, loving home. If items are
not recirculated within the Franklin community, they are donated to Caritas –
an organization that assists in various matters, such as the fight against
poverty, asylum and migration, family placement, disaster relief, and more.

Clothing swap in the Falcon's Nest

Recycling

Recycling in Switzerland may seem
overwhelming at first, but once you learn the ins and outs you begin to
appreciate the methodical order of the process. The main recyclables here are
PET plastics, glass, aluminum, and paper/cardboard. PET plastics should be
compressed then thrown into a PET bin, which are available on both campuses, or
in each dorm residence; glass can be thrown away at the Grotto (the cafeteria
on the Kaletsch Campus) or at the Giardino dorm residence (located above and
around the delicious Giardino Pizzeria and Restaurant); aluminum can also be
crushed and disposed of at the Grotto; and paper/cardboard should be placed
outside of the dorms, near the road, on the first Thursday of every month – the
paper/cardboard should not have any wax, staples, tape, food waste, etc. on it!
If you have any clothing, fabrics, bedding or other items of that nature to get
rid of, you can put them in the Caritas bin – located at the Sorengo Laghetto
FLP train station (directly behind the FUS campus). Caritas will then take
these items, and donate them to people in need. Another fun recycling tradition
in Lugano is affectionately known to Franklin students as “Trash Day,” which
happens once per semester. On Trash Day, the residents of Lugano put everything
that they do not want outside of their homes to be collected by either the
local trash service or other community members that view their trash as
treasure. It is possible to find items such as pots/pans, vacuums, furniture,
exercise machines, and even ping-pong tables.

Recycling at the Grotto

You may be wondering “…but what
about compost?” Don’t worry, there’s a place for that too!

The designated Franklin compost
is located directly above North Campus on the path to the Franklin garden, so
if you are into composting (which you should be) you can collect food scraps in
your dorm room and carry them over to the compost on your way to class!

More about the FUS garden from the Garden LLLS
Katherine Gannon:

What do you grow in the FUS garden?

“We usually plant perennial plants
that will grow over many years. We use crop rotation, and switch out the
produce seasonally. The soil is always reused and combined with the compost, so
we only have to supplement it when it’s necessary.”

What is in the garden right now?

“Since it is winter, we currently
have winter vegetables and herbs. For example, there is broccoli, kale,
lettuce, parsley, beets, fennel, rosemary, sage.”

What is something you want everyone to know about the garden?

“Anybody can eat the fruits, and
vegetables, and I think that not everybody knows that.”

What is your favorite season in the garden?

“Fall is the best for me. There
are so many tomatoes and strawberries, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, and so much
more.”

What is your favorite thing about the garden, and what has it taught
you?

“I love going up to the garden,
especially when it’s sunny. It’s isolated, but you still feel like you’re on
campus and you can hear people. The view is spectacular in all directions – you
are surrounded by the mountains, valley, and vineyard above North Campus.
Working in the garden has taught me patience, and how to care for and nurture
something. It is also extremely satisfying to plant something, watch it grow,
and eventually eat it.”

What is the FUS garden planning for the future?

“Franklin is becoming an edible
campus! Every year, at the incoming students’ convocation, we will plan a fruit
tree, and eventually the campus will have a full orchard that students can pick
and eat from.”